Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-25

Pillow said lie expected to roll the enemy
(McClernand's dirision) in full retreat over
upon Gen. Buckner, when, by attack in
flank and rear, they could cut up the enemy
and put him completely to routn
Pillows attack was sudden and furious.
Revcille was Just sounding in Netherlands
camp, and the troops We're not under arms
when the onset was made. There was con
fusion there was danger that the whole right
wing Of the Federal army would lie routed
In few minutes though, in scarcely more
time than it takes to write ii, Netherlands
men, gun in hand. had their faces toward the
foe
The account of the fierce onset and shock.
and its reception 10y the Federal soldiers.
read like some of CAESARS battles with the
Gauls. Gen. Oglesby, Of Illinois, who com
manded a brigade ON the right, received the
first tremendous attack. His men returned
fire till their ammunition gave out They
snatched up the cartridge boxes from the dead
and dying and poured their contents into the
foe till that too gave out. Then Col W. H.
l.. Wallace's brigade went to the rescue
That at length quailed before the "treby
laundering attack, a lamented statesman.
who has lately passed to the realm of the un
seen, distinguished himself CALAMITY here
He was then colonel of the Thirtv-iirst Iii
nois and his name was John A Logan. He
was here and there and everywhere in that
battle showering electric words upon his
men, his dark face lit with excitement, his
eye shining like an eagles BY the magnet
ism of his personal influence he prevented a
panic and rout early in the day.
Netherlands division, with Taylors,
Dressers and McAllisters batteries of light
artillery, met the Confederate onset bravely
and well. To the right of Oglesby still was
Gen McArthur nearest the river He had
been ordered there the night before, with
troops who had had no food all day They
passed the night in the snow and Sleet, with
out fires or shelter Gen. Macarthur had had
no time to become acquainted with the nature
of the ground He only knew that he faced
Fort Donelson. The Confederate design was
TO make dash and get cavalry in his rear.
and then with cavalry to rear of him, infantry
before he would be powerless
Soldiers do not always find it easy 10 fight
on full stomach, but McArthur's men had
tasted thirty-SiX hours In this state of hun
ger they We're when they heard at 3 o'clock in
the morning the firing on Oglesby on their
left. As soon rs it was heard, without wait
ing for orders, Macarthur formed his EMMY
stomached men in line of battle They took
n lively hand in the fight. But presently a
worse trouble than empty stomachs con
fronted them, and that was empty cartridge
boxes Before that obstacle they were indeed
poweress, and so the brigade fell back some
hundreds of yards TO the rear and took up "A
new position. 1t is sufficient to say of them
that toward night they got one square meal
and then moved over to the left of the Federal
forces to support the troops fighting there.
The morning progressed, 1t began to look
indeed as if Pillow was going 10 carry out his
threat to roll the enemy over" McArthur's
brigade had crumhlcd away. so had
| Oglesby's McClcrnand's division was in the
gravest danger In the center Lew Wallace,
with the Third division, was lying inactive
His orders were to act ON the defensive and
watch the Confcdcratcs to prevent their cs-
Gaping his way.
Pillows division, in deploying, spread wider
and wider, and more and more toward Lew
| Wallace. Netherlands division began to
waver. Three Confederate batteries, Maney's,
Porters and Graves, poured n steady fire into
! it. Buckner was advancing, too, with his